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Topic Review (Newest First)

08-15-2012 08:36 PM

GeorgeDog

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

scratchee, I'll bet that when you use civilian airfields incommunicado with all those civiian aircraft...you were talking to a control tower and you really WERE in communication with those civilians, through the tower.

Not at all the same as running a sub deaf and blind in a world of civilian ships, commercial and recreational alike, with no controller and no other communications. If they were running without a VHF radio watch...that could be seen as gross negligence.

Of course there's a Press Office that might be able to comment on this, but considering that everything that has anything to do with a nuclear submarine is classified (or should be) I wouldn't expect a fast reply.

....running a sub deaf and blind...gross negligence...

Obviously you are either (1) willfully misinterpreting the input given here by knowledgeable people trying to inform the community on these issues, or (2) simply trying to push buttons. In either case there is no further point in this discussion from my perspective.

Best,
Chris

08-15-2012 07:34 PM

tbctx

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

They have VHF, its handheld and the guy holding it has way more to do than chit chat and the other stuff is far more important. Subs are made to be operated underwater vs on the surface as such surface operations are rarer and hence demand way more attention/personnel than normal submerged operations do. That said if memory serves the VHF is normally not on 16 its some other channel with the coasties I think (I was enlisted not an officer so never the guy with the radio and virtually never one of the guys on the bridge).

08-15-2012 07:14 PM

hellosailor

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

scratchee, I'll bet that when you use civilian airfields incommunicado with all those civiian aircraft...you were talking to a control tower and you really WERE in communication with those civilians, through the tower.

Not at all the same as running a sub deaf and blind in a world of civilian ships, commercial and recreational alike, with no controller and no other communications. If they were running without a VHF radio watch...that could be seen as gross negligence.

Of course there's a Press Office that might be able to comment on this, but considering that everything that has anything to do with a nuclear submarine is classified (or should be) I wouldn't expect a fast reply.

08-15-2012 04:48 PM

MITBeta

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronwindward

It's my preference that Navy vessels in civilian waters treat me with the same respect and civility that any other agent of the government would, such as a police officer or government clerk.

Right, Sparks is sitting in the control room, driving the boat. They've reduced crew so tightly, he's driving the boat, monitoring all the radios, AND serving up meals at the same time. Right.

It's not a matter of not having enough crew. It's a matter of not having a crewman assigned to the duty of conversing with recreational sailboats, because there is no need to perform such a duty. Also, as GeorgeDog pointed out, in the case of a sub there are only two or three people who can even see any other boats, and they are busy guiding their own boat.

As an aside, in a former life I flew military aircraft. Virtually all civilian aviation communicates on VHF radio, while virtually all military aviation (at least in my corner of that world) communicates on UHF radio. More than once I operated out of busy civilian airports alongside large commercial aircraft, without even being in the same band on our radios. And you know what? Both we and they were able to safely do our jobs quite nicely.

08-14-2012 08:44 PM

GeorgeDog

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Right, Sparks is sitting in the control room, driving the boat. They've reduced crew so tightly, he's driving the boat, monitoring all the radios, AND serving up meals at the same time. Right.

Totally missed the point.

Sparks is in a windowless steel tube and has no situational awareness of the surface or traffic. Hardly a good choice to communicate with recreational traffic.

Sparks is isolated from Sonar. Sonar is isolated from Radar. Radar is isolated from Helm. The Helm is isolated from Nav. All report up to the Conn. The Conn has the information to hold a useful conversation with recreation traffic but has a more important job to attend... his (now her) boat.

Sorry people but a submarine is structured to engage in warfare. They don't come with a recreational setting.

08-14-2012 08:05 PM

fryewe

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Amazing. Some of the comments on this thread are simply amazing...and foolish. Submariner steal somebody's candy or girl friend some time in the past?

08-14-2012 05:48 PM

hellosailor

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Right, Sparks is sitting in the control room, driving the boat. They've reduced crew so tightly, he's driving the boat, monitoring all the radios, AND serving up meals at the same time. Right.

08-14-2012 05:37 PM

ShoalFinder

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Keep in mind, you're talking about a submarine. Who exactly do you think is going to talk to you? The guy on the VHF is not the guy up on the sail who is looking at you through binoculars. He's navigating, telling the enlisted phone talker on the sound powered phone what to tell the guys who are driving the thing. Orders are being given, repeated, and then acted upon. Updates to course, speed, material condition, process checklists, and plant alignment are being relayed. Port Control is talking to the boat over a secure net you can't hear. Nobody driving the boat can see. They are sitting in a windowless room holding controls that stick out of a control panel. Nowhere in that process is a guy sitting next to the VHF waiting to have a conversation.

Can you imagine running a billion dollar boat aground? Can you imagine running over another vessel?

Inquiry: "What was happening at the time, Captain?"

- "Uhhh. The Radioman was talking to someone on the VHF and the order from the Conn to change course/speed was not heard."

Inquiry: "So, Captain. You knew had "x" payload, in a billion dollar boat, in restricted navigation, on the surface... and you broke protocol?"

- "Uhhh. I didn't want to be rude."

There's just too much at stake on that boat to give a flying $### about being nice on the radio.

08-14-2012 10:59 AM

svzephyr44

Re: Nuclear s(n)ubs

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

While I'm at it, does anyone else have a problem understanding the Coast Guard when they read very fast over the VHF about hazzards or look outs for boats in trouble?

It reminds me of those famous movie scenes at the drive thru where the kid babbles something into the microphone and is read back a perfect order. Yes, I have the same problem with them. I am trying to listen and write at the same time. It doesn't work well. If I think I really need to know I just get on the frequency and ask them to repeat it slowly. I do like the practice that some CG Stations have adopted of having two people alternately read the document. At least you know when the subject changes. The down side is one person may be loud and modulating well, the second is mumbling and you can't hear a thing.

It gets worse when you are International. The speed may be slower but non-native English speakers reading the notice to mariners can be a trial. The only solution I know is to record the broadcast and then play it back a number of times.

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